Morgan Hill, CA (PressExposure) March 20, 2013 -- Spicing things up just in time for spring, Opa Helmut's Rub, a collection of legendary 140-year-old spice blends, is using its first-ever Kickstarter campaign to support organic, gluten-free and kosher certification. The 'Spice Us Up!' campaign tastes as good as it sounds and runs through April 6 with a goal of raising $3,500.

Nearly 2 million people in the United States have celiac disease and must avoid gluten, and another 1.6 million choose gluten-free diets for other health reasons. Likewise, organic and kosher certifications are more important than ever as consumers place a premium on the food and products they purchase and consume. Opa Helmut's Rub spice blends offer traditional taste with a modern twist: The healthy, natural recipes originated in Germany in 1875 and were resurrected in 2011 by Astrid E. Senior, the great-granddaughter of creator Wilhelm von Cramm, who developed a spice collection designed to enable food lovers to explore the tastes and textures of German cuisine.

"Knowing how to cook with spices and limited rations actually saved my grandfather's life during World War II when he was captured as POW. He became head chef, cooking for the camp's commanding and senior officers using his father's unique spice blends, and later became lifelong friends with the Commandant through food," said Senior. "Opa Helmut's Rub continues to spice up the lives of so many fans across the globe, and we're thrilled to use this Kickstarter campaign to pursue organic, gluten-free and kosher certification for our one-of-a-kind blends."

The rewards for supporting the Kickstarter campaign are sweet and spicy: Donors can enjoy taste samplers, original spice boxes, cooking spoons, aprons and tickets to the local Oktoberfest this fall.

Available in six blends, Opa Helmut's Rub German spice blend recipes are all gluten-free, all-natural, preservative- and MSG-free; the blends serve to create delectable meat, fish, vegetable entrees and side dishes. They can be purchased online, at farmer's markets, wineries, and a growing number of local specialty food stores and supermarkets.

"As spring arrives, we thought it was the perfect time to spice things up a bit. We're truly grateful for our early donors and hope our 'Spice Us Up' campaign continues to heat up over these last few weeks," Senior added.

Founded in 2012 and based on recipes harkening back to 1875, Opa Helmut's Rub encourages foodies to explore a modern world of healthy German cooking with gluten- and MSG-free, all-natural traditional spice blends. Opa Helmut's Rub's vision is to inspire cooks to create healthy, easy and fast meals. Further, Opa Helmut's Rub's current Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign runs through April 6. For more information, please visit http://www.opahelmutsrub.com/.